I’m not particularly good at arriving at parties, and starting a blog here feels a little like joining a party that’s been in full swing for a wee while. Even worse, at some point I’ll be asked what I do and will have to admit that I’m a chemist. Now there’s a conversation stopper! Not that I think there is anything wrong with being a chemist, but then again, I wouldn’t.
Deep breath…
My name’s Katherine, and I’m a chemist.
There we go, that wasn’t too bad. I’m other things as well, but all in good time. If we must be specific, I’m a chemist who is interested in environmental and medicinal chemistry, specifically how metal ions and polymers interact. This takes me from waste water clean up to new ways of dealing with chemotherapy that involves metal complexes (such as cisplatin).
I suppose the other question is why blog? That’s a little harder to answer. I think I succumbed to some blog version of ‘rapture of the deep’, a compelling urge to write and comment and read and write some more (and not necessarily in that order). I am at a loss to explain it beyond that.
Chemistry is good. Chemistry is fine. Welcome Katherine!!
Like some of my high school friends when they asked what I was doing in grad school and when I explained proteins and stuff they stated “but why do you call it biology, it’s Chemistry” :)
(I had to say something about it’s about from which view you have or something like that….)
Welcome to NN, Katherine! So glad to have you join the party. The more the merrier, especially when there are chemicals involved ;)
Looking forward to reading more from you.
Welcome Katherine. Parties are always refreshed by new arrivals.
On the basis of some of you other online writing, I am very much looking forward to reading more on your NN blog.
Welcome Katherine! So – what about that waste water clean up and the metal complexes in chemotherapy?
Welcome to the mix Katherine – Chemists are certainly welcome, especially if they can help make the subject accessible to us lesser mortals!
Katherine – anyone with the word silsesquioxane in their profile gets my vote! I look forward to hearing your perspective on things chemical, and perhaps a few takes on life as a lecturer too?
Hi everyone, and thanks for the words of welcome.
Frank – I love the word silsesquioxane, even if it did take me 2 months to learn how to pronounce it properly. It makes doing lit searches that little bit easier!
Hi Katherine, welcome! And yay for chemistry! I like biology, but we really did need more other topics around here…
Great to see you over here!
A warm canadian hello from a fellow vancouverite living in the UK